A Love to Remember
by Roeauxlette
Summary: Sakura could feel him leaned to her touch as she felt a big warm hand rested on her small ones, holding it firmly, keeping it stay in touch with the side of his face, as his eyes slowly drifted shut. GaaSaku.
1. The Beginning

**A/N:** My very first fanfiction in GaaraSakura, so I still need lots and lots of suggestions and critiques. There will be lots of grammatical errors, so please pardon me. English's not my first language, but still, I tried my best to make it less miserable : ) now please enjoy the show, Ladies and Gentlemen..

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, but I do wish..

**:A Love to Remember:**

**-Chapter 1 : The Beginning-**

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Sakura drummed her fingers on the table impatiently. Her perfectly manicured nails clicking against its wooden surface. She brushed her pink locks to the back of her ear for the umpteenth time out of her nervousness. No, she wasn't nervous, she was furious. She had been sitting at this outdoor table of a coffee parlor all alone for more than half an hour, waiting for a certain red-haired guy. Yet the said guy was nowhere to be seen. The cardboard cup on the table that earlier was filled with her favorite cappuccino was now empty, and she found herself almost losing all of her patience. She kept shifting restlessly on the supposed to be comfortable couch.

'Today is my birthday, for crying out loud! Why does of all time he choose today to be late? And for more than half an hour that is to say! Does he forget about it?'

She thought, irritated. Sakura cursed under her breath and forced herself to relax. She closed her eyes and leaned backwards to the back of the couch.

Yes, he wasn't the perfect prince-charming type of a boyfriend. He was never a ladies' man. And he often refused to show any acts of affection at the public, not to mention his lack of talking. But he had his kinda-sweet side too. He wasn't romantic, he never give Sakura any sugar-coated compliments, so whenever he praise her—no matter how simple and straightforward his words were— it was genuine and honest, and it made Sakura's heart fluttered. He was never bold in showing his affection, but through his simple gestures such as holding her hand or his chaste kisses on her forehead—or sometimes— lips, she knew that he loved her. And though they weren't the chit-chatty kind of couple, they usually knew what each other meant through simple words, and that's enough.

But, they didn't mean that Sakura was confident in their relationship. Oh no, Sakura was all but confident in this. There were times—such as right now—when she would find herself deep in thought, doubting did he love her or not. He got irritated quite easily sometimes, and so did she, they really had what people called 'major mood swings'. And both of them were headstrong and stubborn, which resulted in arguments between them, ranged from rather calm to harsh and fierce ones. Sakura always feel like walking on a thin ice at a frozen lake, one wrong step, and she would fall into the freezing water.

Because it was her who fell for him at the beginning. He was one of the major hotties in school, but he got this dark aura lingering about him, which felt like shouting 'stay away from me!' to the other people around him. That, plus the faint dark circles around his eyes, made his appearance even more threatening and unapproachable. All he usually did was just sitting at the corner of the class, eyes shooting bored looks to the whiteboard or the teacher. On the lunch times, he didn't talk much, just laid back and all relaxed among some of his loud friends and siblings. He was Gaara Sabaku.

Unlike her, the other girls in their class didn't have enough bravery to approach him. Sakura though, wasn't affected. She even personally thought his uncommon attitude challenging, and boy did she love challenges. She found his crimson blood-red locks mesmerizing. His pale complexion and his towering figure alluring. And his eyes, oh his beautiful jade eyes, dazzling. What made her interested in him though, weren't his eyes themselves. It was the gaze he shot to other people. They found his stare cold, sharp, and unnerving, yet Sakura found something else. She saw a little hint of loneliness. Expertly hidden, but it was still there, and Sakura's eyes were much too good to be fooled. Pushed by her curiosity, she made her first step back then. Starting with trivial and insignificant talks, slowly yet quite surely, she peeled him off of his mysterious front wall. And after about 5 months of tiring efforts, here they are as a couple. She didn't really know for sure though. It had been 2 months since their 'relationship' begun, but Sakura couldn't really see any developing between them. They'd never even said 'I love you' to each other like those other normal couples.

Yes, now he's less cold than he was back then, but does he really love her? What if he just pities her? Or what if—heaven forbids— he's just toying with her?

Their so-called-romantic-relationship begun on one afternoon when they were walking home together—more like Sakura was trailing Gaara and attacking him with her usual carefree and trivial remarks though. It had been some weeks since they started doing it. They were walking down the busy street when suddenly Gaara's hand took Sakura's hand in his. And so they walked home hand in hand—Sakura's face blushing like mad while Gaara's seemed to be rather ignorant. And since then, they started to go on several dates. Most of them were just watching movies and nothing very romantic had really happened, but still they counted as dates. Weren't they?

Sakura sighed loudly and started to massage her aching temples. Is this what she really wants? Does this relationship really worth fighting for? She found it very fragile even to the softest touches. And there were many things she had given up for their sakes too—such as lowering her ego a little bit and never complained about their not-so-romantic dates— but it wasn't like there were no benefits come from it too. With Gaara at her side, she felt more… complete. But how about him? Does he feel the same towards her?

She suddenly blinked quickly when she caught a glimpse of crimson hair in the crowd of people walking down the street where the coffee parlor was located. She squinted her eyes a little and found what she had been looking for. Her eyes following a red-headed guy, clad in gray casual shirt with the two first buttons off, and dark-washed jeans. He walked towards her, both his hands in his pocket.

The moment Gaara arrived at her table and opened his mouth to say something, Sakura cut him off with a sharp tone.

"Sakura—"

"What took you so long?" she glared at him, anger true in her eyes.

"Sorry. I—"

"Of all times, why did you choose now to be late?"

"Listen, I know I'm wrong, but—" his voice dark. He hated it when he was being cut off by people when he talked.

"I've been waiting for you for one fucking hour, Gaara!"

"CAN'T YOU SHUT UP!? Listen to me first!" He barked in frustration. That was it, he really, really, hates it so much when people cut him off. And Gaara was sure, Sakura knew about that fact better than other people. So that only irritated him even more when she did what she knew he despised so much. The action was immediately regretted by him though. Especially when he saw Sakura's face. He hates when people cut him off, but he hates it even much more to see Sakura's hurt expression. His grasp at the tiny blue velvety box inside his jeans right pocket—his reason for his lateness— tightened.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" Gaara shook his head and his left hand try to reach for Sakura.

But she had already turned away and ran. Her vision blurred from the tears she had been holding. She knew it was her fault, she knew she was too harsh and overreacting. Yet her ego—her damned-godforsaken-ego—refused to let herself be the one who was at fault. So she turned and walked away. Ignoring Gaara.

This wasn't their first fight—hell they even had quite a long history talking about their fights—but this one was different from the others. Gaara's yell earlier was ringing inside her heart and it hurt. It hurt so much she didn't even want to see his face, so she ran through the crowd of people to the crossroads not far from where she was. It felt not right. It felt like something terribly wrong was just going to happen, thus she ran away. Confused with her own emotions and actions.

Gaara cursed himself and ran after her. "Wait! Sakura!" he called to her, only to be ignored by the pink-haired girl. Sakura walked away fast. She looked like lost in her own anger. She kept bumping to other people, forcing her way to the crossroads. He watched in horror as he saw Sakura crossed the street, not even looking at the blaring red pedestrian traffic lamp. And his eyes widened when he saw a car speeding through the not too far side of the road, coming to Sakura's direction. Yet Sakura didn't make any move like she knew there was a car coming her way.

Gaara ran as fast as he can to where she was. 'No God, No! Not Sakura! Pick someone else, not her!' he prayed inside his heart while he force his feet to move faster and his strides longer until his legs felt like they were about to snap. He shoved the people walking around him roughly so they would get out of his way.

"SAKURA!!!" he bellowed. Her hands outstretched to her directions.

-oOo-oo0oo-oOo-

Sakura ran across the road. Her eyes still blurred and hazy from the tears. She kept walking in haste. All that went through her mind was Gaara.

'Gaara, Gaara, Gaara…' she thought bitterly.

"Why do I have to know someone like him?" she snorted.

Sakura was too engrossed in her own musings; she didn't catch the people's shocked face. She didn't see those people opened their mouth to shout at her, to warn her. She was about to take her next step when suddenly she was surprised by the blaring honk of a car just few meters from her spot—right at the centre of the crossroad. Her eyes went as big as saucers and her mouth agape, but she didn't get the chance to scream before she heard someone bellowed her name followed by a deafening sound of tires screeching against the asphalt.

Everything happened so fast.

And then everything was dark.

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How was that? I, personally, am not really satisfied with this. But I promise, the next will be better. Because, despite of this chapter's title, the next chapter is the real chapter where everything will start. This is more like a prologue. I hope I don't make them too OOC though, cus I think it would be weird to write a calm Gaara in a situation like this.. xD hehehehe..

Anyway guys, **please review!** Reviews will help me update faster, and gosh! how I love them so much, more than 3 meals a day.. xD hahahahh.

But seriously guys, I really, really, want to know what do you think about my story.. do you like it? Any helping critiques or suggestions? =D

With all the love of the world,

**:Gentle Breeze of Spring:**


	2. The Right Person

**Disclaimer :** Once upon a time I owned Naruto, but then I woke up and realized that it was just a dream.. sigh..

**:A Love to Remember:**

**-Chapter 2 : The Right Person-**

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Dark. It's very dark. All that my eyes can see is just darkness. I can't even make out a single thing, not even my own hand. Nothing, none. It's pitch black here. I'm swimming in the endless darkness. I can feel nothing, just an overwhelming numbness.

'Where am I? What am I doing here?'

The questions have been whirling around inside my head, but somehow, I can't answer them. Like something blurry and hazy is creating a thick substantial wall between me and my mind. I just can't think clearly. And after this nothingness that seems like eternity, the very first thing my body can make out is pain. My eyes. They're burning from the blinding light shines through my eyelids.

'Stop!' I hear my own sound screaming inside my head. But I can't really shout it aloud. My throat feels parched and dry. So I just groaned. Please, somebody, just turn off the goddamn lamp! I let out another feral growl and turn my head to side, burying it in my pillow.

"Sakura?" I hear a voice. A male's voice. It was deep and husky, the kind of voice that will make you all curious and yearning to see the owner of it.

I brace myself for the blinding light and open my eyes. Winced a little from the pinprick pain attacking my eyes, I try to see the guy who talked earlier. But my sight is like a buzzing old cheap TV. My eyes haven't adapted to the light yet, and blotches of neon colours started to stain my vision. In this state of temporary blindness though, I still can hear the sound of shifting clothes and foot steps. The man must be walking over to my side and leaned forward against my bed since I can feel slight pressure on the mattress at my right side.

As seconds tick by, I can finally see the person at my side. Flaming red locks that looked so soft—it takes all of my will power not to jump on him and run my fingers through them—, pale skin, jade eyes with faint dark circles around them. I blink my eyes for a few times. His appearance fits his voice just perfectly. Sexy.

"Sakura?" he frowns at me, creating creases in between his non-existence eyebrows.

I frown too upon hearing this, he maybe has those good looks, but he surely is impolite. Aren't people supposed to greet and get to know each other when they first meet instead of putting on a frown?

"Excuse me, do I know you?"

**---0---0---**

"Ngh..!" a groan of discomfort can be heard from the bed. I immediately straighten my sitting position and throw my head to her direction, it must be Sakura. After a few seconds, again she groans. And this time, she tries to hide her face in the blanket.

"Sakura?" I call to her. I watch her as she struggles to crack open her eyes. She blinks several times and shakes her head as if trying to clear her vision. I walk to her side and lean forward against her hospital bed, trying to see what's wrong with her. At that moment though, her eyes come focused on mine, and it feels like she's… staring at me.

"Sakura?" I call her again, more urgently this time. I feel uncomfortable with her act of silence. Did a cat steal her tongue or something?

"Excuse me, do I know you?" she frowns back at me, looking annoyed.

What the hell is this? A sick twisted joke? For hell's sake, it's not the perfect time to joking around okay, so cut it off. _Cut it off_. I deepen my frown.

"Sakura, if you're angry, just tell me. No acting like this okay? I'm serious." I warn her. This is just not the right time to play around like a 3-year-old.

"So do I!" she protests. "You keep calling me Sakura. Is that my name?"

My mouth hangs open and I can only gape at her in disbelief. What. the. fuck. is. going. On?

"It's me, Gaara, and yes, you are Sakura. What is wrong with you?" I emphasize the last sentence. This is not funny. Not funny _at all_. I grab her shoulders and start to shake her body back and front. I know it's wrong to do it to her, knowing that she's in the hospital and all, but my heart is now pounding like crazy inside my chest. I can feel a drop of perspiration rolls down my cold temple to my chin.

Sakura cringes from my stronghold and try to shove me away. "Gaara who? Let go of me! Let go!!" she struggles and wiggles away. Screaming at me with fear in her emerald eyes. "Let go you freak! I DON'T KNOW YOU!" she shrieked.

It's all that I need. It's all that it takes to change me to a frozen statue of human. My grips on her fall limply to my sides. I stare at her in utter disbelief. My mind a tangle of tethered emotions. Sad, angry, confused, annoyed, and above all, pain. What is this sick joke? What is this sick fucking crap of a joke?

Just when I'm about to open my mouth to say something, the doors of her hospital room slammed open from outside. Mr. and Mrs. Haruno run to their only daughter's side and hug and kiss her with teary eyes and hoarse voices.

"Sakura! Thank God!"

"What happened, dear!?"

"You scared the hell out of me!"

"Never! Never do that to me again!"

The two of them keep crying their hearts out in relieve. Showering their daughter with questions and statements. Oblivious to the confuse written all over the pinkette's face.

"Uhhh…" she started warily. Both of her mom and dad stop their ramblings to look at her intensely.

"Uhh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude… but, do you mind to do me a favor?" she asks carefully.

"Anything, dear…" Mrs. Haruno cups her daughter's face with both of her hands and looks at her with teary eyes.

"Great, umm… mind to explain to me who am I and what was going on?" Sakura cracked a nervous smile to her parent.

Mr. and Mrs. Haruno looked at their only child in disbelief then at each other, that is before Mrs. Haruno's eyes rolls to the back of her head and then she faints.

Oh, great. I think sarcastically. I'm still petrified at my spot 3 meters from the bed. Still too busy trying to fit everything in into my mind. I'm too preoccupied I can't even roll my eyes at the dramatic scene that plays in front of me. Something is really wrong here. And it's going to be bad. Really, really, bad.

**---0---0---**

The two of them were now sitting on a bench on the hospital's rooftop. Sakura was gazing at the blue sky while enjoying the breeze that whipping her face and her pink locks. She sat in silence, carefully listening to this Gaara's explanation about herself. The doctor had given Gaara the 'privilege' of recounting to Sakura, her own basic memories while he and Mr. Haruno took care of her fainted mom.

"—so that's how you end up here, losing your memory." The red-head completed his last sentence and let out a weary sigh.

Sakura frowned, deep in thought.

"So… I'm Sakura Haruno, you are Gaara Sabaku, and I'm losing my memory because I hit my head on the side road when you saved me?" She absentmindedly traced the bandage around his forehead.

"Hn" Gaara nodded shortly. Before adding slowly to himself "It's all my fault." He shook his head in anger and buried his head in his intertwined fingers.

"Huh?" Sakura tilted her head in confusion upon hearing it.

"How could it be? I suppose I even should—no, I _must_— thank you for helping me. Have I thanked you?" She smiled and offered her hand forward to him.

Gaara eyed Sakura's hand for a moment of hesitation before shook it with his own.

"Oh! And sorry for calling you a freak earlier." She added, her smile went wider.

"Hn" Gaara shrugged indifferently before shoving his hands back to the pocket of his jeans.

Sakura could feel a scowl made its way to her face. Her eyebrows met in a delicate V line. This man sitting beside her had never really made real eye contact with her since the time he knew that she was losing her memory. Had she done or said something wrong?

"Umm, you know quite a lot about me, so I take it as you're not a random guy who saved me just because you were coincidentally standing near me when the accident occurred, yes?"

When she heard no reply, she continued.

"So… tell me, what our relationship was?" she asked carefully. She knew by asking the question, it would just embarrass her. And though she didn't know why, it felt like it was a rather delicate matter. But she really couldn't help herself. She really needed to know what exactly was her relationship with this perfection personified sitting right at her side.

Gaara averted his eyes from his knees to the view in front of him—the top of buildings around the hospital. He concentrated his ears to listen to the blaring honks of the cars on the busy roads below. He took exactly 3 deep breathes before he turned his gaze at her. To the emerald spheres staring at him in curiosity.

Sakura almost gasped at the sudden contact of their eyes. His jade orbs were breathtaking to say the least. Gaara said nothing, but Sakura swore, she felt like she could read everything from his eyes. She wasn't sure though, but she felt like she could see… love? However, what took her attention the most was the look of hurt and pain. Not just in his eyes, the emotion was stretched along his flawlessly-stunning face like an ugly burnt scar.

Suddenly Sakura felt like she would do anything, _anything_, to wipe the pain away from him. She leaned towards him and slowly brought her hands upward. Gently she cupped the side of his face with one of them, while the other brushed his messy red bangs out of his eyes. Her thumb absentmindedly drawing small circles on his high cheekbones, marveling at the softness and coldness of his skin.

Sakura could feel him leaned to her touch as she felt a big warm hand rested on her small ones, holding it firmly, keeping it stay in touch with the side of his face—not like Sakura would remove them anyway, she loved the feel of his skin against her fingertips— as his eyes slowly drifted shut.

Through shaky breaths from the new found excitement and at the same time relaxing presence, Sakura whispered to him. "Would you mind to give me the detail of the day when it happened?"

"Hn" Gaara hummed with his eyes still shut and their position unchanged. "You were waiting for me at the coffee parlor alone for an hour, because I was late. When I finally arrived, we started to fight. I lose control because you wouldn't listen to my explanation for my lateness, so I yelled at you." He stopped to take another long breathe. Sakura move her thumb in circles against his cheek again, urging him to continue. "And then you ran. You ran across the crossroads without noticing the traffic lamp, and that's why you were almost get hit by a car."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered breathlessly. His hands tightened around hers as his expression changed to those in deep pain.

"Sssh…" Sakura pressed her index finger against his lips softly. "No, _I am_ sorry for not listening to you back then…" she laughed slowly, humorlessly. "Why were you late?"

Slowly Gaara opened his eyes and straightened his bent frame—making his face out of Sakura's reach—both of them slightly shivered from the cold at the lost of their skin contact. He reached one of his hands inside his jeans pocket and took out something from inside it. It was a tiny blue velvety box. He put it on his palm and opened it with his other hand. There, inside the box, planted on the small black cushion was a tiny silver ring. The perfect size of Sakura's ring finger.

Sakura stared at the tiny band of silver dumbfoundedly.

"It was your birthday; I was late because there were some problems at the jewelry store." Gaara looked at Sakura's eyes—still staring wide-eyed at the ring on his hand. A ghost of smile lingering on his face. He liked her reaction. He took the ring and put it on Sakura's left ring finger. "Happy belated birthday…" he muttered and put her hand back onto her lap.

After what seems like eternity, Sakura's gaze darted to his face. She looked flustered. Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again and closed again for a few times, but no sound came out.

"I…" she finally stuttered after gulped down some of her nervousness. "T-thank you… thank you, so much…" she blushed a deep shade of red. How on earth she could casually put her hands upon him earlier? What had possessed her? For a moment back then, It felt like she knew him dearly. Like she was really close to him. Like she_ remembered_ him. But a heart-beat later, everything vanished. For Sakura, he was back to a drop-dead gorgeous stranger who helped to tell her some little part of her lost memory.

"Glad you like it." Gaara shrugged and righted his sitting position again. "And… Sakura?"

Sakura's breath hitched upon hearing her name being called by him. She like it, to be honest. The way her name rolled of his tongue felt so… different. So sensual. "Y-yes?" she turned her head to him, a little bit too fast though, it felt like she almost snapped her neck.

"Don't worry, I'll help you remember." He promised.

Sakura's features were all of sudden relaxed. It felt like, in this new universe full of strangers to her, she finally had something to clutch to. Someone she knew she could rely upon. Her heart felt warm at the thought of it.

"Yes." she whispered almost dreamily. "Thank you…" Sakura smiled softly in gratitude. His words had thrown all of her uncertainty and the feelings of vulnerability away. She didn't mind it at all if he wasn't doing it on purpose, she really felt grateful to him.

"Hn" was his short reply. But even though the short hum maybe heard a little cold for other people, but she didn't mind. Especially after she saw the corner of his lips tugged to a small crooked smile. His first genuine smile in front of her.

Sakura smiled back and sighed in contentment. Suddenly, the world felt different. The sun warmer, the colours more lively, and the breeze blowing past her brought the scent of fresh grasses. She didn't know how, and she couldn't explain it. She just knew, and really, every fiber of her being knew it clearly.

She's with the right person.

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Well, second chapter. How was it? I hope you weren't confused about the POVs, the first part is Sakura's the second is Gaara's and the last is third person's POV. I hope you guys like the story so far :D well, if you're confused on something, feel free to ask me through your reviews.

I beg your pardon if you found any grammatical errors and typo, I don't have the time to proof-read it. And… umm, I'm really, really sorry I haven't had the time to reply your wonderful reviews (blame my older brother for using the computer too often. I almost don't even have the chance to upload this chapter!) but really, I greatly appreciate all of them. Please keep reviewing because reviews are the reason that keep an author alive, lol xD. So REVIEW guys!! ;D

With all the love of the world,

**:Gentle Breeze of Spring:**


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